Improvement in raslroac zar-springs



G. F. GODLEY.

Railroad Car-Springs.

Patented June 24,1873

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GEORGE F. GODLEY, OF NE" IMPROVEMENT lN RAILROAI A rnn'r OFFICE.

YORK, N. Y.

CAR-SPRINGS.

Specificationforming part of Letters Patent No. 140,19]

lated J une 24, 1873 application filed January 2 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. GonLnY, of the city and county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Railroad Car-Springs; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part of this specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

My present invention is a further improvement upon the car-spring described in my former application, and which was allowed. In the construction therein described, I employed within an open-bottomed case a movable diaphragm having sets of springs of one size above and ofanotherrsize below it,.anda 7 single follower at the bottom of the case; the

top of the case being closed.

In my improvements now to bedescribed, I employ a case open both at top and bottom,.a central immovable partition or diaphragm, a follower both above and below such diaphragm, short spiral springs within longer ones of larger diameter, and which encompass the ends of the smaller springs and are encompassed by the ends of the larger ones.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a exterior view, and Fig 2 a vertical section, of my improved spring, in the line a w of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow., Fig. 3 is a top view; Fig. 4, a top view, with the top follower removed. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of portions of the caseandfollower, showing the inner andits outer spring coiled in opposite directions. Fig. 6 shows a follower having nipples, but no cups or recesses surrounding the nipples. Fig. -7 shows the springs coiled as in Fig.

1, but not in section.

A represents the box or. case, made. open both at top and bottom, and having a fined or permanent transverse diaphragm, or partition, b, as seen. 0 0 are the followers, adapted to enter the cavity of the box, and to ride therein, so as to avoid the contact and friction at too many points by having bcarin g parts (1 d, which,

by abutting only upon the parts 0 e of the box, prevent all other parts coming into abrasive contact, and so preserve the larger springs in true position and keep the m from rubbing the sides of the-case. The followers are madewith hollow nipples f, thecavity of which is made of appropriate size and depth to receive and hold properly to place the smaller and shorter spiral springs 9, while the diameter of the nipples is such as to easily enter the coil of the larger springs h; the smaller springs being thus inclosed within the larger, and both bein g sustained in position by the same nipples.

The inner springs g, having necessarily a smaller coil, have greater strength, and, therefore, less capacity for yielding; and they are designedly made shorter than the outer ones h, in order that the latter shall afl'ord all the resilience a light or unloaded car may require, without permitting the stifl'er ones, g, to come into action and ofl'er any resistance but when the car. isloadedits greater-descent forces the followers farther'into the case, and 'brin gs into action the stronger ones. Another advantage of employing two sets of springs of different lengths is that I can entirelydispensewith the use of springs of a very'rigid character, such as usually employed, and which, while having the proper resilience fora heavily laden car, afford almost no yield at all when the car is unladen. I thus make a great saving also in the wear and tear, both to the roadway and to the rolling-stock.

The fixed diaphragm b is also provided on its opposite sides with similar hollow nipples for the opposite ends of the springs.

The followers are shown as having recesses within which are the nipples. These recesses are not absolutely essential, but may be dispensed with, and the nipples may project from a follower whose inner surface .is otherwise a plane for the nipple serves to hold both the inner and outer spring in place.

I prefer to coil the smaller springs in a direction the reverse'of the coil of their companion or outer ones, for the reason that the springs, when compressed, expand slightly, and this has a tendency to cause the follower to chafe' or twist a little around against the case; but by reversing the spirals, each in such action of expansion or twist serves to correct the other, inasmuch as the twist of the two are in opposite directions. I

I find it advantageous to place a piece or cushion of rubber, k, on top of the upper fol lower that it may come between the spring case and the car or bolster, and tlnd that it performs the important duty of neutralizing or destroying that slight jar to which a spiral spring is snbjectand it is better that the outer face of the follower be provided with a flange or rim, of aheight about equal to half the thickness of the rubber, for the purpose of more firmly holding the rubber to place.

In some cases, as, for instance, upon Irqightcars, the construction may be such that only one-hall of the apparatus illustrated need be used; that is to say, the portion either above or below the partition b, but preferably that below it; but ineither case, including such partition, as, for instance, the portion below the line y y in Fig. 2.

I claim- 1. A car-spring, having in combination spiral springs of difierent lengths and diflerent sizesof spiral, the shorter and smaller ones being within the longer and larger ones, and the free ends of the shorter ones entering hollow thimbles or nipples in a follower, while the longer and larger ones surround such nipples, and the inner spring being coiled in a direction opposite that of its outer one, all substantially as described.

2. In combination, the partitioned case and the top and bottom followers, the partition and the followers having hollow nipples or thimbles f, adapted to receive and sustain within them the smaller and shorter springs, and to be surrounded by and to sustain the larger and longer springs, all snbstantisll y as d scribed and shown.

GEORGE F. GODLEY.

Witnesses:

Wu. Areas, A. F. SPAUH. 

